Archive May 2009
This is an archive of articles that Lincoln Cannon published in May 2009. An annual archive for 2009 is available. And a full archive of all articles that Lincoln has published since 2005 is also available. You may also search for articles and other content that Lincoln has published on any of his websites.
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Shelly Kagan on Philosophy of Life and Death
I’ve begun watching Shelly Kagan’s lectures on the “Philosophy of Life and Death” via Academic Earth, which links to thousands of video lectures from the world’s top scholars. In this set of lectures, Shelly argues for the following perspective: “I’m going to try to convince you that there is no ... -
Shelly Kagan on the Nature of Persons
In this lecture, Shelly Kagan talks about life and death, as well as persons, in black-and-white terms. However, are there degrees of life and death? Are there degrees of consciousness? Are there degrees of identity? He also talks about the death process in linear terms. He seems to suggest that ... -
Bednar Suggests Spirit is Information
At a recent LDS Church meeting for young adults, Elder David A Bednar commented on technology, and implied that spirit is information. Here is an approximate transcript of a portion of his talk: “We live in a time when technology can be used to replicate reality, to augment reality, and ... -
Should You Take Resveratrol to Live Longer?
A couple months ago, my wife and I started taking resveratrol. It’s a dietary supplement that appears to be effecting significantly extended and healthier life spans in mice and monkeys. Results have not yet been verified in humans. Recently, 60 Minutes published a related video segment that may intrigue you. ... -
Science and Technology Are NOT Beyond the Mark
Some have criticized Mormon Transhumanists, or even scientific- and technologically-leaning Mormons generally, as “looking beyond the mark” and not relying enough on faith, grace, priesthood, revelation, spirituality, God or something else presupposed to be at odds with science and technology. This criticism is entirely inconsistent with Mormonism, as I discuss ... -
Shelly Kagan on the Existence of the Soul
In his third lecture on the philosophy of life and death, Shelly Kagan begins presenting and refuting arguments for the existence of a supernatural or immaterial soul. He calls this the “dualist perspective.” He explains that one argument for the dualist perspective is that a supernatural or immaterial soul is ...